A debate is raging in many web forums: Which operating system is easier to install – Windows Vista or Ubuntu? Anyone who’s asking that question is missing the bigger picture.

Simply put: Consumers DON’T want to install operating systems on PCs. Nor do they want to go searching for drivers. That’s why I waited for Dell to pre-install Ubuntu before beginning to use Linux on a day-to-day basis.

The Linux community is generally filled with well-meaning people who are eager to help people like me get up-and-running with Ubuntu. But there’s also a large number of Linux faithfull who think Linux is ready for prime time on the desktop.

It’s not. When I received my Dell system, Ubuntu ran well right out of the box. Boy is it fast on a dual-core with 2GB of RAM. But wait: There were some bugs. Video driver problems, printer driver problems. Minor stuff a Linux pro could fix in a few seconds. But major stumbling blocks that would force the average user to throw up his hands in frustration.

Of course, for power users, the question remains: What’s easier to install – Ubuntu or Vista? An editor over at InformationWeek expresses great frustration trying to get Ubuntu installed and running on a laptop.

Fine, but how about some equal time? Surely there are thousands of Vista users who gave up trying to install the massive operating system on legacy hardware because of driver and bug issues.